Certified Lay Ministers Update

The 2004 General Conference affirmed the Certification of Lay Ministers in The United Methodist Church.This form of ministry follows the early Methodist tradition of lay preachers and class leaders who served in Christian community.Today, Certified Lay Ministers (CLM) are vital to the mission and ministry of our churches. The UMRF organization continues to take an active role in advancing this new form of ministry. Below are news items and articles of interest relating to CLM:

Rev. Carl Ellis, Membership Chair for UMRA, is also active in training Certified Lay Ministers. Rev. Ellis is a member of the Great Plains Annual Conference and lives in Kansas.

Rev. Sharon Schwab also is active in training CLMs. Sharon calls Pennsylvania home. She is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. She is shown here receiving her Honorary Life Membership with Rev. Roger Grace, the President of UMRA.